Gugulethu's famous chisanyama

Braai business guru shares secret ingredient to his success

In order to establish and
successfully run a business in a
township, one has to be driven
by a desire to do good and be
backed by the goodwill of residents
in the chosen neighbourhood; the
entrepreneur would need to exercise
much patience and possess the
will and savoir-faire to spread and
share rewards accruing from such
a venture.

To succeed over time,
everyone around has to see some
benefit for themselves.

This could
come in the form of job creation,
local procurement of soft goods
and services, or by creating a
feeder system of referrals to other
businesses in the area, on the basis
of shared desire to satisfy clients and
keep them coming back for more.

As in any business undertaking, cultivating
patience is crucial. Without the goodwill
and support of neighbouring communities,
any business is unlikely to succeed.

But
few understand the secret to succeeding
under these unwritten conditions than Mzoli
Ngcawuzele, owner of Gugulethu-based
Mzoli’s – the eponymous eatery that has
become a township experience not to be
missed when visiting the Mother City.

“From the onset”, explains Mzoli (as he
prefers to be called), “we wanted to establish
a business hub in our area in order to
grow local businesses and job opportunities
for locals, by attracting tourist and business
revenue.

Mzoli’s has established itself as
a feeder business for local pubs and other
smaller businesses.

“While 60% to 80% of our business happens
over weekends, coming mainly from
foreign visitors and South Africans from outside
Gugulethu, our weekdays are kept busy
essentially by locals who have turned Mzoli’s
into a hub of activity in the area.

"People come
to Mzoli’s to buy and eat meat prepared on
the spot; they come to have a township experience
and socialise with friends, to show
visitors around and simply have a good time –
while vacationing or after a day’s hard work,” Ngcawuzele said.